Do You Hang Off Cliffs?

At BEA a few weeks ago, R.L. Stein (the ever-so-famous author of the crazy popular Goosebumps books) attributed some of the success of his novels to his use of cliffhangers—those suspenseful situations at the end of a scene or chapter.

Photo by ajenyon

I am a huge fan of cliffhangers at the end of chapters, unless, of course, it’s 2 am, I’ve just reached the end of a chapter where the characters I care about are in some sort of grave danger or about to make a momentous decision, which will be revealed in the next chapter, yet I’ve got to haul my exhausted carcass out of bed at 6 am. In that case, I’m frustrated because I must know what happens next in the novel, yet I anticipate being bleary eyed the next day. I dwell on how much caffeine I will need to come to life after too little snooze time. If you’re an avid reader, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about here. Cliffhangers build suspense, tension, and create an emotional response in readers that often makes them sacrifice sleep in order to find out what happens next in a story.

If you’re a writer, you probably itch to torment your readers in this way. I'm guessing you’d love to make them sacrifice good sense and well being for the sake of turning the pages of your story. But how? Some authors accomplish this by revealing a key piece of information that the reader needs to know at the end of a chapter, or a tease that this piece of information will appear in the next chapter. An author might also reveal some twist or important plot development as a cliffhanger. Or, a writer might push the main character into an ugly and sticky situation to be resolved pages later. I just finished a chapter in which the heroine was facing some serious danger when she passed out—at the end of the chapter. Since I care about this character, I had to know whether she’d be descended upon by the evil or if she’d be saved.

Also, cliffhangers work especially well when each one is bigger than the last. This kind of makes sense given that the novel is building toward a climax, right?

What do you think about cliffhangers? Do you like to hang off cliffs or are you afraid of heights? If you are pro-cliffhanger, do you have a favorite? One that kept you reading against your better judgment?

Interesting (I think) 4th of July Writing Tidbits

Happy almost July 4^th everyone! In honor of Independence Day, I thought I’d share some facts that I find interesting about the writing of The Declaration of Independence. Here’s hoping that they might interest all of you writers and readers, too.

Did you know that Thomas Jefferson was one of five men appointed to write The Declaration of Independence? John Adams of Massachusetts and Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, and Robert R. Livingston of New York joined Mr. Jefferson. Doesn’t that sound like a powerful writer’s group?

Thomas Jefferson, however, was asked to write the first draft. I’m guessing he was more of an outliner than a pantser.

This writing project took him less than three weeks. This bit of information, frankly, makes me a little sheepish about my slow writing pace. Upon completing the final draft (after many), Mr. Jefferson showed it to Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, who input their own revisions. The Congress, of course, made more alterations and deletions. The process of revision continued through all of July 3 and into the late morning of July 4. And I’ve read that Mr. Jefferson was not thrilled with the final product. Still, when the Declaration of Independence was finished, church bells rang out in Philadelphia. Don’t we all celebrate once those final revisions are made, for better or for worse?

Fifty years later, Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, as did John Adams. It’s true: Two of the men who crafted The Declaration of Independence died on the same day, and on the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the document. Kind of wild, don’t you think?

And now I leave you to your fireworks (for those of you celebrating the birth of the USA) with a few quotes on the value of reading and writing:

“I cannot live without books.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." ~ Benjamin Franklin

“Let us dare to read, think, speak and write.” ~ John Adams

“I read my eyes out and can't read half enough...the more one reads the more one sees we have to read.” ~ John Adams

Can you add any fun, Independence Day writer facts?

Happy fourth of July whether you celebrate Independence Day or not!

Symbols

Traffic light photo by alvimann at Morguefile.com    

Do you notice symbols when you are reading? Or, for that matter, in the world around you? They can sometimes be easy to overlook, I think. 

Do you incorporate them into your writing? Symbols can add meaning, highlight the underlying theme, or even nudge a reader to make certain connections. I like symbols best when they occur organically and throughout a story, as long as they are not stuffed into the text with a heavy, over-enthusiastic hand. Like mine. When I revise, I often have to delete a symbol or two (or three) that I like too much.

I love coming across symbols while I am reading. Maybe a character has a beloved bicycle that she rides in the beginning of a story. The bicycle ends up at the back of the garage as the story rolls along. This could be a subtle indicator of what is going on in the character’s life. Maybe the bike symbolizes the character being neglected or distracted from what she loves. Maybe the bicycle shows that she’s growing out of a bicycle-riding stage. The bicycle could be just a bike, or it could be a symbol or reflection of what is going on in the character’s life.

Ring photo by lisafanucchi at Morguefile.com

Symbols don’t have to be objects, either. They can be phrases, gestures, or character traits. The trick, for writers, is to be sure that the symbols sprout in a natural way from the story. Whenever I force a symbol into a story, it’s obvious. As in there’s an orangutan sitting at the kitchen table obvious. It’s best to pull symbols from what the story offers.

What are some of your favorite symbols from your reading and writing? I still think about that famous pie from The Help. And, of course, who could forget Frodo’s quest for that symbol of all symbols—the ring?

Filter Words

Are you familiar with filter words? Not filler words. Filter words. These are the words that filter the reader’s experience through a character’s point of view. During the Highlights Foundation Whole Novel Workshop that I attended in March, we talked about filter words. The term, apparently, comes from Janet Burroway, a novelist who co-wrote Writing Fiction : A Guide to Narrative Craft, which is, according to its description, “The most widely used and respected text in its field.”

Filter words include see, hear, feel, think, realize, watch, look, seem, know, and sound (to list a sampling). Although they can have their proper place in writing, they can also put distance between a character and the detail the writer wishes to present. For example, I see the horse run from the field into the barn without the filter words would read The horse runs from the field into the barn. Which sentence is more clean and sleek? Which sentence do you prefer?

I feel the cold wind bite into my neck would transform into The cold wind bites into my neck.

Filter words can tell a reader what is happening rather than letting the reader experience the scene. They can put distance between the reader and the character’s experiences. And we know this isn’t a good thing.

Have you read about or heard about filter words? What are your thoughts about them? Have you read or heard about Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft by Janet Burroway and Elizabeth Stuckey-French? Do tell! : ) 

Whoa, Where Is This Writing Going?

The Kentucky Derby this past weekend had me thinking about riding and writing. 

In the world of writing, there are those that plan and outline before the first draft and those that dive head first into the first version of a story. These days, I figure out my story ideas and get to know my characters as I outline plots before hacking out the first drafts. But whether a writer outlines and plans, or dives into a story, there are times when that story runs away with a writer. This is a lot like having a horse take a bit between its teeth and gallop off into oblivion with the writer on its back.

Photo credit: This lovely photo is by jade at www.morguefile.com

Sure, wild rides can be scary, but they can also be exhilarating. Runaway writing can offer new insights and revelations. A writer, like a rider on a rebellious horse, could end up in a better place if the writer doesn't fight to reign in or pull up the runaway. 

When my writing takes off on me, I remind myself that writing an outline doesn’t mean I can’t or won’t change it. The subconscious often knows best and sometimes takes the bit. Keeping an open mind and not being shackled to an outline or any preplanning can lead to a tangent that might be just a wild ride, or might also lead to a much better story. Why not drop the reigns and find out?

Have you had stories take off on you? If so, what have you learned from these wild rides? If you outline or prep, do you reign in a story that takes off or scrap the pre-planning and enjoy the ride?

Write a Synopsis When?

I’ve heard and read that writing a synopsis for a story before writing the first draft can sometimes be helpful. Last week, as I carved out a synopsis for an almost finished work in progress (sculpting a slab of granite with a butter knife would have been easier), the wisdom of writing the synopsis ahead of the story made more sense to me. If I had some sort of synopsis sketched out based on my original intent for this novel, I would have had a launch pad of sorts. Believe me, I would have killed for that last week.

photo by Clarita at www.morguefile.com

I am also wondering if sketching out a synopsis ahead of time might be a way of outlining or feeling out if a story idea has enough potential to morph into a full fledged novel. A pre-story synopsis might help a writer figure out her intentions for a story, maybe help her figure out the merit and meat of an idea, along with its perimeters. Yet, without the commitment. The story could still change during the writing. After all, what a writer needs to craft a synopsis is what he or she needs to put together a first draft: The protagonist and his or her goal, the antagonist and his or her goal, the protagonist’s internal or emotional conflict, his or her flaw, and the setting.

Okay, I know that there are many writers that work out the story while writing. I am impressed and amazed by this, by the way. And yes, each writer must figure out the way that works best for his or her story and muse, but maybe sketching something out ahead of time could be useful and motivating, even if just as a warm up exercise. 

What do you think? Are you scoffing at this idea? Or is it, at least, a little bit intriguing? Or, maybe more than a little bit intriguing? Do tell! 

She Did What?

You’re happily reading along and BLAM, you stop dead because something does not ring true. Maybe there is a coincidence that isn’t feasible. Or a situation makes no sense. Or a character

does something bonkers and out of the range of expectations. Someone or something is not believable. Hitting something unbelievable while reading is like running into a brick wall.

If you’re a writer, you want everything about your story to be believable, right? Writers are on the lookout for anyone or anything that seems improbable. Yet, creating believable characters, situations, scenarios, and so on can be easier said (or typed) than accomplished. I know. Not so long ago, a valued reader questioned the believability of the actions of one of the characters in my work in progress. Yup, this reader face-planted against a wall.

What to do? Here are a few tips:

1. If there is a believability problem, try pointing it out. When characters note that something seems improbable,that situation may be defused. It may no longer be the great ape in the room.

2. Nix any coincidences. If something seems too convenient or easy, it probably is. Try foreshadowing the scene or coincidental element. Set ups usually erase coincidences.

3. Use back-story to legitimize a character’s behavior. A past experience or experiences might justify or provide an understandable reason for a character’s actions.

Have you ever come upon something unbelievable while reading? Did this feel like hitting a wall?

Writers, have you had a brilliant reader pick out something that he or she couldn’t buy into? If so, how’d you fix the believability issue?

photo by mconnors, www.morguefile.com

Got Weeds?

It’s springtime. Insert happy dance here. In my part of the world, this means that flowers are popping through dirt and bringing explosions of color back into the world. Unfortunately,

the weeds are busting loose, too. Which reminds me that weeding isn’t just for gardens.

I love beautiful writing. So much that it has kept me reading many a novel that I would have (should have) put down had the writing not been poetic and gorgeous. However, from a writing point of view, lovely prose for the sake of its beauty is like the pretty weed that adds nothing to the garden and may even take from it. Readers should not be admiring the writing alone. They should be engaged in the story. And let’s face it, sometimes sparkly writing detracts from a plot or pulls the reader out of a moment. Sadly, a writer must sometimes cut or dig out the gorgeous sentences with all their poetic symbolism simply because these lines do not serve the story.

So, as I grab my spade and head for the garden where all kinds of weeds, some of them pretty, are growing roots, I’ll be thinking about all the hard core weeding that I’ll do when I come back inside and revisit my work in progress.

When reading, how do you react when you stumble upon beautiful weeds? Do you mind being pulled out of a story for the sake of gorgeous prose?

Writers: Are you able to pinpoint and uproot the weeds in your own work?

* A big thank you to Carol at www.carolriggs.blogspot.com for tagging me with the Lucky 7 Meme Award. I have the best of intentions for playing along—really, I do. Stay tuned.

* The beautiful garden photo is by Chamomile at www.morguefile.com

Amazing

Those of you nice enough to follow my blog know that I was missing in action last week. I had the opportunity to attend the Highlights Novel Workshop at the Highlights Foundation in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. I didn't know what to expect, but the week was . . . Amazing!

Amazing and interesting participants with amazing stories guided and mentored by amazing teachers (well-published authors as well as an editor). We met for the first time on Sunday afternoon and spent the following five days getting to know each other and helping each other work through structure problems, plot snags, character issues, pacing situations, etc. with the novels we submitted to the workshop. Each person turned out to be supportive and encouraging of everyone else from the first moment of that very first meeting. Amazing.

The days included one-to-one mentoring for each of our novels, workshops on craft, time to apply what we learned to our novels (helping each other along the way), group critique sessions, group time where we wrestled with each other’s novel problems, and a few hours here and there for quiet writing in our cozy cabins. As an added bonus, we all had a blast together laughing and sharing our lives beyond writing. In summary: A week of writing and revising and talking shop and life with kindred souls. Pure bliss. As I might have mentioned—amazing.

As if all of this didn't make for a spectacular week, the staff of Highlights was amazing, too--friendly and eager to please. The kitchen crew in particular spoiled everyone rotten with delicious meals and snacks. And all of this amazing-ness took place in a rustic, wooded setting complete with trails for hiking and random,

happy dogs ready and willing to join a long trek through the woods. What more could a writer ask for?

The novel that I brought (the one that had me boggled and blinded) now has a focus and is back on track. I have a sense of knowing and confidence about what it is and what it is meant to be, in addition to new insights to apply to the rest of my work. Thank you to everyone involved in the Whole Novel Workshop at the Highlights Foundation.

If you’d like more information about The Highlights Foundation workshops, here’s a link to what is being offered at this point: http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/fw-sched-preview/ If you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them, either here or via a personal message (you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, or via my website).

Anyway . . . Enough about me and my week. How was your week?

To Read or Reread?

Do you ever finish a great book and swear that you’re going to reread it? I do this all the time. I have lists and piles of never-been-touched books waiting to be cracked open and read, books I can hardly wait to read. But I also have lots of great novels that I am itching to reread. One pass is not good enough for a fabulous book. There is so much more that can be harvested. Yet, other than rereading To Kill a Mockingbird countless times, I haven’t gone back to all the wonderful novels that I want to reread. I already know that I love the plots and characters. And I know that I’ll learn more, as a writer, by rereading. Every time I revisit To Kill a Mockingbird, I close the novel with deeper insights into character and character development, motivation, voice, subplots . . . So why haven’t I reached for The Help, The Harry Potter books, Speak, The Book Thief, (and more) a second time? Because I’m always tempted by the fresh, new reads. Also, there are only twenty-four hours in a day, which is really inconvenient. Sigh.

Last weekend an article on this very topic snagged my attention. According to “Why Books and Movies Are Better the Second Time,” by Natalie Wolchover, research reveals that people like to reread books to find deeper layers of significance in the material while also reflecting on their own growth through the already familiar book. Apparently rereading a book or revisiting a movie is often a search for new meaning in a therapeutic sort of way because the readers self-reflect. Revisiting enables them to achieve an understanding of their past and present situations. Okay, but I would add that revisiting great novels also enables writers to learn more about an author’s style, technique, and expertise.

By the way, here’s a link to that article if you’d like to read more: http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/17/10437789-why-books-and-movies-are-better-the-second-time

Do you reread your favorite novels? If so, how does the reading experience differ the second and even third time?

I’m off to revisit my bookshelves. If I can somehow make it past that pile of shiny new books.

Do You Keep Secrets?

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Some say that in the world of romance and significant others, there shouldn’t be any secrets. That’s a debate for another time and another blog. I’m here to chat about the secrets that writers should keep.

Secrets and unanswered questions can turn up the volume on tension, which is almost always a good thing, right? Secrets, big and small, plant questions in readers’ minds and make those readers wonder and perhaps read on in search of answers. Why is that character limping? Where did that scar come from? Why does she have a crazy fear of trains? Who is that lurking, shadowy figure?

While I was revising Buck Fever, my amazing and gifted editor advised me to hold back on one particular “big reveal” for another chapter or two. I did and what a difference this made. Instead of giving away too much explanation too soon, I dropped hints like crumbs. I tried to let the audience enjoy the intrigue and the mystery while also giving them the chance to discover things for themselves.

I think about this editor’s advice when I am reading a novel with secrets or information that is held back. And I think about this advice every time I’m about to reveal information in a story that I am writing. I ask myself: Can this wait? Will the plot benefit from keeping this secret a little while longer? What other plot developments might sprout from not sharing everything with the reader until absolutely necessary?

What do you think about secrets? If you’re a writer, do you keep secrets as long as possible from your readers?

When you're reading, do you feel the tension of a lingering secret or unanswered question?

Talent or Passion?

The Super Bowl this past weekend has rocked much of New York and New Jersey. Since this is home turf for me, it inspired me to think about (and blog about) talent and passion.

People often refer to talent as a gift when talking about athletes, writers, artists, musicians, and others with a skill or area of expertise. Sometimes I wonder whether talent is a gift or whether it is something earned. Dictionary.com defines talent as “a special natural ability or aptitude.” Okay, but is this a little too simple? Most often where there is an ability or aptitude, there are also countless hours of hard work and dedication—blood, sweat, and tears--that go into nurturing, training, and honing that ability or aptitude. Yes, there are child prodigies such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who was composing at six years of age, but history tells us that he worked long and hard before he reached a level of extraordinariness. So, I question the ratio between the “special natural ability or aptitude” and the passion, dedication, hard work, and perseverance it takes to create something amazing or perform at a high level. Could it be that

when someone is labeled as having a gift or talent, what that person really has is a great and mighty passion and dedication to do whatever is necessary to create or perform well? To, say, win a Super Bowl? Or write an award-winning novel? Maybe the passion is the gift.

What do you think? Are some people born with a natural ability and aptitude? Or, are they born with a burning desire and drive to create and/or perform to an extra ordinary level? Or is this all crazy talk that comes from too many nachos and chicken wings downed during a very exciting football game?

The To-Be-Read Magazine Pile

The most recent arrivals of assorted writing and publishing magazines, journals that review books, and newsletters focused on writing and publishing trends are forming a mountain on my desk. This pile is competing with the to-be-read novel pile. All this reading is cutting into my writing time. No lie--I’ve started keeping some book review magazines in my car to read when I show up somewhere a tad early or I have to wait for someone or something.

And there are lots of tempting magazines, journals, and newsletters available: Publisher’s Weekly, The Writer, Writer’s Digest, Poets and Writers, The Writer’s Journal, The SCBWI magazine, Lion and the Unicorn, Horn Book Magazine, School Library Journal, The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Children’s Writer newsletter, Children’s Writer Marketplace . . . And I’ve named just a few.

A little voice in my head is nagging that I must trim down on the subscriptions. The only thing I know for sure is that I will not (WILL NOT) give up my subscription to Writer’s Digest. An issue of that magazine will have to be pried from my dead, rigor mortised hands at some point.

Am I alone here? Do you subscribe to magazines, journals, newsletters, and periodicals? If so, do you have a favorite or favorites? If you had to give up one or two, which would you let go?